West Windsor’s health and recreation departments may be getting new digs. Council resurrected the topic of municipal building renovations in a dedicated work session February 1, and the township will explore converting a portion of the post office building into office space for health and recreation.
Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh and the administration said the municipal building, completed in 1977, has long been in need of mechanical, security, and roof upgrades. Business administrator Marlena Schmid told Council the sequence of improvements should aim to maintain services and proposed to first relocate the health and recreation divisions to the post office building, which the township shares evenly with the federal postal service.
The health division has eight full-time employees and recreation has three. There is also shared staff between the two departments plus numerous part-time and seasonal employees. The two departments currently occupy the old police wing and an adjoining trailer, which was also previously shared with fire and emergency services staff until EMS moved into the former Twin W facility earlier this year.
Schmid and Community Development director Pat Ward explained the trailer has far exceeded its useful life and current office conditions are cramped. For example the health division is operating in space that was formerly a police locker room.
In addition, health services has 50 visitors per week, and the current space is less than ideal for private interfacing and storage of special equipment. Relocating the two divisions to the post office would also link the staff closer to the senior center and library. Health officer Jill Swanson and recreation director Ken Jacobs were amenable to relocating to the post office building.
Township engineer Francis Guzik estimated renovation of the township’s post office space could be completed within a year. Council member Ayesha Hamilton asked for an approximate cost estimate of the project, but the administration said the proposal is still in the concept phase and declined to disclose a figure.
At a December, 2014, Council meeting, a majority of Council indicated support for a renovation option that called for a new EMS building adjacent to the Princeton Junction firehouse, the relocation of health services to a renovated police wing, and the use of post office space for events. The cost of that plan was estimated at upwards of $1.6 million, paid for through liquor license funds.
However, the township’s falling out with the Twin W Rescue Squad and the subsequent purchase of the Twin W facility on Everett Drive resolved the EMS department’s needs. According to Schmid, the purchase and renovation cost slightly more than $800,000, and $1.19 million in liquor license funds remain.
Council member Alison Miller asked how much office square footage the health and recreation departments need. Miller said if the police wing could be renovated to accommodate health and recreation, then the post office building could serve as a community space.
The township’s post office space is 2,700 square feet and the square footage of the police wing is 4,700 square feet.
“We do not have more space than we need,” Ward said. Hsueh advocated renovating the post office so health and recreation can vacate the trailer and former police wing. Then the township can remove the trailer and begin figuring out improvements for the former police wing as well as HVAC and roof replacements. The former police wing would in the future serve as office space and records storage.
Council members ultimately agreed the administration should proceed with retaining Spiezle Architectural Group, the firm that previously conducted a municipal facility study, to provide a design of new office space in the post office.
